The Dermatology Nurses' Association's (DNA's) 29th Annual Convention was held on March 18-20, 2011 in San Diego, California. With the theme of Celebrating Excellence in Dermatology Nursing Education, the convention offered a variety of sessions in five key tracks: pediatric dermatology, medical dermatology, cosmetic dermatology, wounds and surgery, and professional practice.

On Thursday afternoon, Lakshi Aldredge, MSN, RN, ANP-C, and DNA president 2010-2011, kicked off the convention by welcoming the participants to the meeting and sharing her vision for DNA. Bill Griffith, a San Diego news anchor, gave the keynote address, followed by the opening of the exhibit hall. This was an excellent opportunity to network with colleagues, learn about new products and treatments, connect with patient advocacy groups, and visit the posters.

Friday continued the energy with a variety of educational sessions and exhibits and an introduction to social media. At lunch, The Robin Weber Inaugural Immunology Symposium was held, and Andrew Blauvelt, MD, taught the attendees about the immunological basis of common dermatologic diseases, including psoriasis and eczema. The afternoon continued with educational sessions in the five tracks and the LPN Workshop Pilot Program. Product theaters were held in the late afternoon, providing on-label talks and experiences about specific treatments.

On Saturday, Chris Herbine, Director, Healthcare Policy and Advocacy Centocor Ortho Biotech, Inc., provided an update on the new healthcare reform legislation. Sharon Jacob, MD, taught a half-day workshop on contact dermatitis, and Hilary Fairbrother, MD, MPH, and Kirsten Malone, CPNP, MPH, IBCLC, led a plenary session on emergency rashes and tropical rashes seen in Haiti after the earthquake. A suturing and surgery workshop was held in the afternoon, chaired by Heather Jones, RN, MN, FNP, and Victoria Lazareth, MA, MSN, NP-C, DC-NP, along with concurrent education sessions.

Sunday began with a rich collection of plenary sessions. Maryellen Maguire Eisen, MSN, RN, shared the facts about vitamin D, sunscreen, and our health, and Journal of the Dermatology Nurses' Association Editor-in-Chief Barbara Starr, MSN, A/GNP-c, chaired a session on how to translate manuscript ideas taken from our daily practices into publications and introduced the Journal of the Dermatology Nurses' Association New Author Mentorship Program.

A variety of concurrent sessions were held on Sunday morning, with Melodie Young, MSN, RN, ANP-c, sharing her knowledge of psoriasis in women, Theresa Hrobuchak, RN, CNOR, providing resourceful step-by-step tips on handling difficult bandaging situations, Ted Scott, RN, MSN, FNP-C, DCNP, reviewing clinical microscopy techniques, and Caroline Kim, MD, leading a dermoscopy session. The very fulfilling and rewarding convention program concluded Sunday afternoon.

We are already looking forward to next year's convention in Denver, Colorado, February 16-19, 2012.

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The Dermatology Nurses' Association's 29th Annual Convention featured six informational posters and five research posters. (Note: Poster abstracts appear on page 172 of this issue of the Journal of the Dermatology Nurses' Association.) The informational posters covered a variety of topics including practice management, patient education, and nursing education. Risley et al. presented a poster on the Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategy (REMS) training program for nurses. REMS, required by the FDA, is used to manage a known or potential serious risk associated with a drug or biological product, and more than 140 REMS programs are currently in place. Young et al. highlighted an innovative practice management model between a nurse practitioner and dermatologist in a small private practice. Patient education tools were also an area of great interest. Pitman et al. developed a patient education tool for patients with photoresponsive diseases, Alcorn et al. described patient education techniques to educate patients with allergic contact dermatitis, and Hansen et al. described the nurse's role in patient education for Mohs surgery. Kevric et al. presented an effective protocol to prevent wrong site surgery in dermatology.

The research posters examined safety, efficacy, and nursing knowledge. Gordon et al. presented a safety update of ustekinumab, a treatment approved for psoriasis that targets the p40 subunit of the cytokine, interleukin-23. Simpson et al. showed that using body wash and moisturizer containing filaggrin breakdown products improved hydration and barrier function in infants and toddlers at risk for atopic dermatitis. Guitton et al. examined the utility of 2% hydrogel preparation on wound healing in patients in Brazil. This hospital-prepared substance was cost-effective and dramatically increased quality of life. Gerbrandt et al. explored the use of UVA phototherapy on deeper tissue dermatologic conditions. Finally, Fletcher and Bobonich analyzed the ability of primary care nurse practitioners to differentiate benign, dysplastic, and malignant lesions. They noted that primary care nurse practitioners have the potential to impact patient morbidity and mortality by detecting melanoma in early stages, and referring for treatment.

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